Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) applauded the unanimous passage of the Ensuring VA Accountability Act, legislation he authored this year that will require all reprimands, admonishments and violations of a VA employee to stay in the employee’s file for their entire tenure with the department, creating transparency and accountability for delinquencies throughout an employee’s career.
This would be a departure from current policy, which grades infractions at various levels, permanently removing the records after a period of time. For example, currently, an “admonishment” can only remain in an employee’s file for two years, and a “reprimand” can only remain on an employee’s file for three years, at which time the violations are erased.
“Part of the systemic problems with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs stem from the fact that current policy prevents the keeping of complete employee files and does not allow the at-fault employees to be tracked or held accountable,” Costello, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said. “It is critical to maintain a complete record of a poor performer in order to better understand an employee as long as they are with the Department. We must hold employees accountable for their actions and that is why I am proud to author this legislation.”
The legislation does not create or enforce new employee penalties, nor would it affect the process to appeal any disciplinary action. It does, however, ensure that a VA employee in violation of policy will not have their records wiped clean after three years.
“(My bill) is a common sense measure that will ensure our veterans are receiving the best care possible, provided by responsible employees,” Costello said. “The reports from recent Inspector General’s investigations prove that we must take measures that will ensure the VA maintains thorough, complete employee records in an effort to hold those who care for our veterans accountable for any continued pattern of misconduct.”
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman spoke out in support of the legislation this week.
“I am especially proud lawmakers came together in support of Rep. Ryan Costello’s Ensuring VA Accountability Act, which would put an end to the department’s tired and ineffective practice of issuing temporary written warnings to employees in the face of serious instances of mismanagement and malfeasance,” Miller said. “I applaud my House colleagues for supporting these important measures and I urge the Senate to pass them without delay.”